1982 BMW 323i Baur

Memorial Day 2010 First Drive 1982 323i BMW Baur Lapisblau M20 5 speed #4154 of 4595 made. The car was imported to California by Dietel Enterprises. I have since changed the wheels, installed the clear turn signal lenses, and I am in the process of installing a new cabriolet roof. I have to do something about those bumpers, too. :) I love this car! To see one of the reasons why, check my post "Score One For the Good Guys" on 6/26/2011.

Friday, March 16, 2018

No Reserve on Bring a Trailer: 1985 BMW 323i Baur TC in Florida

Thanks to our friends and fellow Baur owners Rick Oppedisano and Jonathan Selig for the heads up on this Bring a Trailer auction of a 1985 323i Baur! Rick, btw, has his own TC2 Baur project under way, and we congratulate him and look forward to seeing the finished product sometime soon! Stay Tuned! ;) Baur Number: B44154-15. It is already registered in the International Baur Registry, apparently when it on the market a few years ago. Small Baur World: we actually did a brief post on this car in Baurspotting back then, and you can see it here*. "1985 BMW 325 BAUR EDITION - $6350 (BROOKLYN)"

Just a funny coincidence, but that is the same Baur number (4154) as my 1982 E21 323i TC1 Baur. Maybe that is a sign that I should buy it, and have a matched set! ;)

Text from BaT post:This 1985 BMW 323i is a Baur TC model that was sold new in Germany and was brought to Melville, New York in December 1990. It remained in New York state with one owner from 1990-2014, was with the next owner for the following two years, and was featured on BaT during its most recent sale in October 2016. Finished in Bronzit Beige Metallic with a black retractable top, this example is powered by a 2.3L inline-six that is backed by a 5-speed manual transmission. Numerous New York state vehicle inspections are shown on the included Carfax along with some dealership services, and the car received an oil change a few months ago. This E30 was acquired by the selling dealer during the last sale in 2016, and is offered for sale with a clean Florida title.This example wears slim bumpers that were standard equipment on European market cars, and had the center high beam lights tinted yellow by a previous owner. The seller notes that the passenger side door, trunk, rear driver-side quarter panel, and front driver-side fender have been repainted. The corrosion that was noted on the door sills in the previous listing has been repaired, with photos provided in the gallery.Baur models featured a retractable fabric roof, and this example carries a matching boot cover that is used when the roof is in its lowered position. Photos of the roof in multiple positions can be seen in the gallery.A spot of damaged paint is present on the hood, and various rock chips and scratches from use are present across the car. The car wears a set of 14″ bottlecap wheels that are mounted with Presa PS01 tires.The interior has been reupholstered in two-tone leather that replaced the previous cloth seating. Some imperfections are noted, including a cracked dashboard, cracked light on the roof of the interior, and broken plastic on the door panels.The original radio has been replaced with a modern Pioneer unit, and the correct Euro market steering wheel is present. Approximately 95k miles are shown on the odometer, though the previous ad listed mileage at roughly 97k and an odometer discrepancy is present on the included Carfax. The odometer is not currently functional and true mileage is unknown.Power comes from a 2.3L M20B23 inline-six that is backed by a 5-speed Getrag manual transmission. The seller notes that an oil change was performed approximately five months ago, and some additional services are present on the included Carfax.Multiple undercarriage photos have been provided of the chassis, suspension, and related components.The included Carfax shows no accidents or body repairs, but does note a mileage inconsistency in April 2015. The full report can be seen in the gallery.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-bmw-323i-baur-tc/

*Link to an earlier post on this Baur back in 2016 when it was for sale in New York:
https://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2016/07/three-baurs-in-ny-area-for-sale-e21-e30.html

Here are some pics from that earlier sale, and you can see the changes. I am not sure why it was listed as a 325 back then, and a 323i now. It could be just an error in the earlier ad.

The seats have been changed.

I am also glad to see that they have now removed that phony "M" badging.

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Thanks to BMW Germany and Baur, I have the total production numbers from Baur. Over a period of five years (1978-1982) a total of 4595 Baurs were produced. Production peaked in 1981, when a total of 1157 cars were converted that year. Given the limited production, a true Baur is a rare thing. Here's a graph that shows the production on a per-year basis: